A treatise of the vvritten VVord of God. Composed in Latin, by the Reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English, by I. L. of the same Society. The first part of the first controuersy

CHAP. XV. (Book 15)

The fourth, fift, and sixt shift that our Aduersaries vse in deprauing the Word of God. (Book 15)

THE fourth shift of our Aduersaries is to fly to figuratiue and metaphori∣call speaches, for it is most true that was

wit••••ly obserued by S. Augustine.* 1.1 If (sayth he) the mind be preoccupated with any erroneous opinion, whatsoeuer the Scripture saith to the contrary, men take to be a figuratiue speach. And surely there is no kind of figuratiue speaking to which our Aduersaries at one tyme or another haue not recouse: but there are three figures of which our Ad∣uersaries doe o••tenest serue themselues in deprauing the holy Scriptures, which are these, Me••onymia, Hyperbole, and Ironia, Metonymia is a figure very familiar with Caluin,* 1.2 for by it he peruerteth many places of Scripture, yea euen those playne words of Christ, this is my body: for hauing dispu∣ted long about the sense of those words at last he concludeth thus: I omit (sayth he) Allegories and Parables, least any man should thinke that, I seeke euasions, a••d to go from the matter in hand, I say it is a Metonymicall speach. So Caluin.

2. By the figure Hyperbole our Aduer∣saries shift of all those so euident testi∣monies, by which wee proue that remis∣of sinnes is obtayned of God by good works,* 1.3 as are these: Almes deliuereth from all sinne,* 1.4 and death, and suffereth not the soule to go into darknes. And againe, Almes deliuereth frō death,* 1.5 & it is that that purgeth sinne & maketh vs find mercy & life euerlasting. Moreouer water putteth out a burning fier, and Almes resisteth sinne:

for the Lutherans say, that all these are Hyper∣bolicall speaches.* 1.6 Beza also seeketh to extenuat by the figure Hyperbole that which the A∣postle writeth in the praise of the Roman Church,* 1.7 when he sayth, your haith is preached all ouer tse world. Caluin in like manner by the same figure not only depraueth many places of the auncient Fathers,* 1.8 but will needes force Christ himselfe without any need at all, to speake Hyperbolically. And fi∣nally Philip Melancthon goeth about by the figure Ironia to delude those manifest wordes of Christ,* 1.9 that which remayneth, giue Almes,* 1.10 and behold all thinges are cleane vnto you. For Philip contendeth that Christ spake not those words in earnest, but in iest, which he tooke from Erasmus, as he did many other things, but Caluin and Beza confesse,* 1.11 that this is a foolish Ironia. Albeit they also peruert the same wordes another way, for they restrayne the word omnia, only to meate.

3. The fift shift is, when Catholiks alledge plaine places of Scripture which admit no figure, to say that the Scripture, yea euen Christ himselfe did speake ex∣actly, but after a grosse and popular man∣ner, the meaning is, that he speaketh only probably, and not solidly. For example sake when wee proue that the Sacrament of the Eucharist excelleth the Manna of the

Iewes by these wordes of Christ,* 1.12 your Fa∣thers indeed haue eaten Manna and are dead, this is the bread descending from heauen, that if any man eate of it he dye not, Caluins answere is, that Christ accommodated his speach to the grosse conceipt or opinion of the Iewes.* 1.13 When we proue the Exorzismes of the Church, by which she casteth out diuells, to be holy, because Christ sayth, one Diuell will not cast out another, Caluin answereth, we must remember (sayth he) that when Christ v∣seth such prouerbes,* 1.14 as are in vse among the people, he vseth them only, as probable coniectures, and not as solid proofes. So he. No meruaile ther∣fore, if our Aduersaries say our argu∣ments are not solid, seeing they write so much of Christs owne arguments.

4. Their sixt shift is, to answere to such plaine testimonies as are alledged out of Scripture against their errors, that the Scripture speaketh not simply, that is to say, not truly, but according to the false opinion of them, ag••inst whom it hath to do, which indeed is nothing els, but to deny the Scripture. This is an vsuall shift of Caluin who interpreteth to dispute by contention,* 1.15 to be all one, as to disput not ac∣cording to our owne mind, but according to their error, and foolish affection who obscure the light of the Ghospell. So as when we proue that our Sacraments ex∣cell

the Sacraments of the old law,* 1.16 be∣cause S. Paul sayth, that the ceremonies of the Iewes were shaddows of things to come, but Christ the body it selfe. And againe, that the Sacrifices of the law could not make perfect according to con∣science▪* 1.17 but serued only to sanctification & cleansing of the flesh: and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that they could not take away sinne.* 1.18 To all these places Caluin an∣swereth,* 1.19 we are, sayth he, to obserue diligently that the Apostle S. Paul in all these places speaketh, not simpliciter, sed per contentionem, which what it is to say, we haue interpreted out of Caluin before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aug. l. 3 de doctrin. a Christ. cap. 10.
• * 1.2

  Matt. 26. v. 26. Calu. l. 4. Instit. c. 17. sect. 21.
• * 1.3

  Tob. 4. v. 11.
• * 1.4

  Tob. 12. v. 9.
• * 1.5

  Eccl. 3. v. 33.
• * 1.6

  Apol. con∣fess. Augu∣stanae tit. de iustif.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 1. v. 8. Beza ibid.
• * 1.8

  Lib. 4. In∣stit. c. 14. sect. vlt.
• * 1.9

  Calu. in c. 6. Matt. v. 16. & in c. 24. v. 82.
• * 1.10

  Luc. 11. v. 41. Phil. in apol. Con∣fess. Aug. tit. de iustif.
• * 1.11

  Erasmus in ānot. Luc. Calu. & Beza in illa verba S. Luc.
• * 1.12

  Ioan. 6. v. 48. & 49.
• * 1.13

  l. 4. In∣stit c. 14. sect. 25.
• * 1.14

  Calu. in il∣lum v. 25 Matth. 12.
• * 1.15

  Cal. l. 2. in∣stit. c. 1••. sect. 7.
• * 1.16

  Coloss. 2. v. 17.
• * 1.17

  Heb. 9 v. 9 & 13.
• * 1.18

  Heb. 10. v. 11.
• * 1.19

  Cal. l. 4. Instit. c 14. sect 25.